A variable lift valve train for an internal combustion engine with internal combustion, comprising a pivoted lever with a transmission surface on one end, a counter running surface in a central region and, on a further end, a support element and a contact element, said transmission surface comprising a zero lift path and, adjoining said zero lift path in lever pivoting direction, a lift path, said transmission surface being in contact with a valve opener, said counter running surface being loaded by at least one lift cam, said support element being guided on a lever guide path, and said contact element, for adjusting the valve lift being loaded by an adjusting device in direction of said lever guide path.
A valve train of the above-noted type is shown in FIG. 1 of DE 102 35 402 A1 and is used under the name of “Valvetronic” by BMW AG as a fully variable valve controlling means. A drawback of this valve train is that it does not enable realization of an additional valve lift in the cam base circle phase, for instance for an internal exhaust gas return. As a result, one must have recourse to complex further measures such as adjusting-angle limited VVT systems, friction enhancing switchable lever drives or additional valves.